Overview of Benefits for New, Benefited Employees

Health Insurance

Benefited employees may enroll for coverage under a Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission (GIC) health insurance plan within the first twenty-one (21) days of benefited employment. Coverage is effective the first day of the month following sixty (60) days in a benefited position.

Employees contribute twenty-five percent (25%) of the total premium for health and basic life ($5,000 of term life) insurance coverage and may extend coverage to their spouse and child/ren under 26 years of age by providing supporting information & documentation. Plan and premium information appears in the GIC Benefit Decision Guide.

The GIC payroll-deducts health insurance premiums on a pre-tax basis twice monthly. Premiums are payroll-deducted one month in advance of coverage (eg, premium for January coverage is payroll-deducted in December). The GIC invoices employees at home for any premium not payroll-deducted and requires direct payment of invoiced premium.

Employees may change health insurance plans (or add/remove dependents from their plan) during April open enrollment for a change effective the following July 1 or within sixty (60) calendar days days (and documentation) of an applicable GIC-qualifying event.

Please review the Health Insurance webpage carefully and ensure you submit your enrollment materials timely in order to secure coverage. If as a new, benefited employee you do not receive an enrollment link via e-mail within 10 days of starting benefited employment contact MyGIC [at] umass [dot] edu.

Life Insurance

Benefited employees may enroll for coverage in a Massachusetts GIC term life insurance plan within the first twenty-one (21) days of benefited employment without proving medical evidence of insurability. Coverage is effective the first day of the month following sixty (60) days in a benefited position.

The GIC offers benefited employees two (2), term life insurance coverage options. Life insurance provides financial protection for the beneficiaries of covered employees in the case of an employee's death and can also provide an 'accelerated death benefit', resulting in partial payment of life insurance to the employee while alive.

Employees contribute twenty-five percent (25%) of the premium for basic ($5,000) life insurance and 100% of the premium for optional life insurance coverage. Plan and premium information appears in the GIC Benefit Decision Guide.

Employees may apply for (or apply to increase) GIC life insurance coverage after the initial enrollment period. The GIC's life insurance vendor reviews applications based on medical evidence of insurability and approves or denies coverage on that basis. Employees who have a qualifying family status change may enroll in, or increase, optional life insurance without medical evidence within thirty-one (31) days of a qualifying event.

The GIC payroll-deducts life insurance premium one month in advance of coverage (eg, premium for January coverage is payroll-deducted in December). The GIC invoices employees at home for any premium not payroll-deducted and requires direct payment of invoiced premium.

Please review the Life Insurance webpage carefully and ensure you submit your enrollment materials timely in order to secure coverage. If as a new, benefited employee you do not receive an enrollment link via e-mail within 10 days of starting benefited employment contact MyGIC [at] umass [dot] edu.

Employees who hold a position that is exempt from overtime and who enroll in the Optional Retirement Program (ORP, defined contribution plan) in lieu of the State Employees' Retirement System (MSERS, pension plan) are also enrolled in an ORP life insurance plan.

Long-Term Disability Insurance

Benefited employees may enroll for coverage in a Massachusetts GIC long-term disability insurance within the first twenty-one (21) days of benefited employment without proving medical evidence of insurability. Coverage is effective the first day of the month following sixty (60) days in a benefited position.

Long-term disability insurance provides income security if an employee is medically disabled from working for more than ninety (90) calendar days.

Employees contribute one-hundred percent (100%) of the premium for GIC long-term disability. Plan and premium information appears in the GIC Benefit Decision Guide.

Employees may apply for GIC long-term disability insurance coverage after the initial enrollment period. The GIC's life insurance vendor reviews applications based on medical evidence of insurability and approves or denies coverage on that basis.

The GIC payroll-deducts long-term disability insurance premium one month in advance of coverage (eg, premium for January coverage is payroll-deducted in December). The GIC invoices employees at home for any premium not payroll-deducted and requires direct payment of invoiced premium.

Please review the Long-Term Disability Insurance webpage carefully and ensure you submit your enrollment materials timely in order to secure coverage. If as a new, benefited employee you do not receive an enrollment link via e-mail within 10 days of starting benefited employment contact MyGIC [at] umass [dot] edu.

Employees who hold a position that is exempt from overtime and who enroll in the Optional Retirement Program (ORP, defined contribution plan) in lieu of the State Employees' Retirement System (MSERS, pension plan) are also enrolled in an ORP long-term disability insurance plan.

Dental Insurance

Dental insurance benefits (coverage, enrollment process and waiting period) differ based on bargaining unit. Please refer to the dental insurance webpage related to the bargaining unit that represents your position.

Paid leave time off (vacation, sick, personal time & holidays)

Paid leave accruals differ based on bargaining unit. Please refer to the paid time off webpage related to the bargaining unit that represents your position.

Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) & Dependent Care Assistance Plan (DCAP)

Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) allow employees to use pre-tax funds to pay for certain un-reimbursed health care and dependent care expenses. Within your first twenty-one (21) calendar days of employment eligible employees may enroll to participate in the pre-tax:

        HCSA: for $250 - $3,050 (plan year starting July 1, 2023) of expenses incurred between the first day of the month following 60 days of benefited employment and the following September 15 (or until you leave benefited employment, whichever is earlier).

        DCAP: for expenses incurred between your first day of benefited employment and the following September 15.

Your election amount will be payroll-deducted on pre-tax basis evenly from University payments made to you between your eligibility date and the following June 30. You may also enroll during April open enrollment for expenses incurred starting the following July 1.

Please refer to the Flexible Spending Account website for more detailed plan, and enrollment, information.

Mandatory Retirement

Earnings from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (including the University of Massachusetts) are exempt from U.S. Social Security taxes (FICA/Medicare tax is withheld).

Massachusetts State Employees' Retirement System (MSERS, defined benefit plan, pension plan)
In lieu of contributing to Social Security, benefited employees contribute nine percent (9%) of salary up to thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) and eleven percent (11%) of annual salary above thirty thousand dollars ($30,000)* to MSERS.

MSERS pensions are calculated based on the retiree's age at retirement, years of service contributing to the system and the average of the retiree's five (5) highest consecutive years of regular compensation under the plan. The Massachusetts Retirement Board provides a chart displaying the maximum average salary paid as a pension based on age and years of service. An employee must typically establish ten (10) or more full-time equivalent years of MSERS creditable service in order to vest, or eventually be eligible to draw an MSERS pension.

Optional Retirement Program (ORP, defined contribution plan)

Employees employed in a position exempt from overtime may be eligible to participate in the ORP in lieu of participating in MSERS. ORP members nine percent (9%) of salary up to thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) and eleven percent (11%) of annual salary above thirty thousand dollars ($30,000)* to the ORP. The Commonwealth contributes a 4.3% match in addition to purchasing long-term disability and life insurance for ORP members. ORP members invest funds with TIAA or Fidelity and are immediately vested in their ORP account. ORP retirement income is based on the balance of the member's ORP account upon retirement.

Enrollment in the ORP is irrevocable; ORP-eligible employees who do not enroll in the ORP within one hundred and eighty (180) days of employment in an ORP-eligible position must remain members of MSERS.

The MA Department of Higher Education provides a useful tool for comparing MSERS and the ORP benefits.

University GAP Plan (defined contribution plan)*

For employees whose initial benefited Commonwealth employment began after January 1, 2011 contributions to MSERS and the ORP are limited to sixty-four percent (64%) of the IRS salary limit or, in 2023, to the first $211,200 of regular compensation. Mandatory retirement contributions on regular compensation above that limit are made to the University GAP Plan. Participants invest their GAP contributions with TIAA or Fidelity, the University provides a five percent (5%) match and participants are immediately vested in the balance of their GAP account.

Tuition benefits

Benefited employees and their eligible dependents may receive discounted tuition for courses taken at Massachusetts  public institutions of higher education. Please reference the Tuition Waiver webpage for detailed information.

Additional benefits

The Benefits webpage provides information about additional benefits related to UMass employment and employee discounts webpage.

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